This sophomore
feature from filmmaker Calvin Reeder solidifies his stature as a blatant David
Lynch copycat. From the jarring editing and a nonsensical narrative to the
surreal characters and dream-like situations, The Rambler doesn’t just seem to borrow from films like Mulholland Dr. and Lost Highway
as much as poorly imitate. Like The
Oregonian, Reeder’s first feature, The
Rambler is purposefully confounding in both narrative and the
unconventional yet intentionally jarring manner in which the story is
presented. Even the worst of Lynch was more interesting and more coherent than
this muddled misstep, but fans of experimental horror may enjoy the unsettling
images and editing compiled in The
Rambler. Others may find that this 99 minute film feels much, much longer.

The basic plot
of The Rambler seems impossibly simple, and perhaps this is because the feature
film is actually based on a 12 minute short that Reeder completed in 2008.
Dermot Mulroney stars as the nameless rambler, on his way cross country to work
with his brother on a horse ranch after being released from prison early for
good behavior. He makes a brief appearance back home, but after discovering the
unfaithfulness of his wife and the bleakness of this existence, he makes plans
to join his brother for a peaceful existence in Oregon.

This peace is
not easily found, as the rambler quickly discovers how quickly random violence
occurs on the road. As he hitches rides across the country with his guitar in
tow, rarely seeming to lose his hat and never parting with his sunglasses, this
expressionless traveler comes across a cornucopia of quirky characters that
range from harmless to homicidal. Oddly combining both of these attributes is
the film’s more compelling character, a mad professor played by James Cady. He
has a device which is said to copy dreams onto VHS, but it has a bad habit of
exploding the subject’s heads instead.

This type of
shock gore occurs randomly throughout The Rambler, as it did in Reeder’s debut,
but I would not place in the category of horror. It seems an appreciation of
horror may be necessary to enjoy this film, however, if enjoyment is indeed
intended. There is a sincerity missing from Reeder’s material, which makes it
difficult to tell whether this film is intended to have meaning or simply meant
to aggravate and infuriate the audience. Or perhaps the filmmaker has no clue
what any of it means, choosing to stylistically steal from other directors
without figuring out what any of it means. Honestly, I could care less either
way. Sincere or not, I didn’t enjoy The Rambler, but that has less to do with
the gore or confounding filmmaking. By the end I was just bored. This material
was better suited for 12 minutes.

The Blu-ray is
void of special features, though there are technical aspects of the filmmaking
which are inarguably enhanced by high definition. You don’t have to like it to
appreciate the talent that went behind the nonsense.

With the arrival
of the “talkie,” sound pictures were quickly integrated into each studio. In
one short year, the new technology had spread across the industry and into each
genre. Some films were later in arriving to the world of sound than others.
Musicals and dramas filmed on studio lots and sets were first to be wired for
sound, whereas it took a bit longer for the films shot on location.

One of the
defining characteristics of a western is the wide open terrain of real
locations. In Old Arizona was not
only the first western sound feature, but it was also the first “talkie” shot
outdoors. Granted, much of the exterior action happens on a small set, very
rarely showing the expansive terrain westerns were known for. There is one main
robbery sequence at the beginning of the film which takes place completely
outdoors. This is some of the poorest sound in the film, but it is also history
in the making. Looking back at some of the first digitally created special
effects is also comical now, but at the time it was impressive. I can only
imagine what the film industry must have looked like in 1929.

The story is a
simple love triangle set in the west, though the film’s ending is far more
daring than anything you would expect to see in a mainstream film. In some ways
the narrative seems to have the sentimentality of a film noir, set in a
cheerful western. A charming and friendly bandit named The Cisco Kid (Warner
Baxter) coincidentally makes friends with the very sheriff (Edmund Lowe) trying
to kill him. In a ploy to destroy the “bad guy,” the sheriff enlists the help
of The Cisco Kid’s unfaithful lover (Dorothy Burgess).

This woman is
the infamous bandit’s one weakness, although she is vain and self-serving. More
interested in proving that she can get any man she wants than staying faithful,
The Cisco Kid’s woman quickly jumps into bed with the sheriff in a plan to kill
the bandit and steal his loot. Directed by Raoul Walsh and Irving Cummings and
featuring an Oscar-winning performance by Baxter, In Old Arizona is a clunky little western offering endless
enjoyment despite its flaws. The Blu-ray release transfers what I can only
assume is the best existing print, though not much restoration seems to have
been done. The sound and picture go in and out depending on the scene, due to
aging and typical wear.

WWE Studios has
a bad habit of continuing every franchise, regardless of whether the narratives
match up or any of the original cast members are willing to return. They simply
see the opportunity to latch on to any minor previous success in order to
completely bleed it dry of profit. All of the straight-to-home-entertainment
sequels from this studio have a recycled production line feel about them,
making the product a shadow of the original product.

The one perk
that the studio has found from using a fresh cast with the sequels is the
opportunity it provides for more “professional” wrestlers in the WWE lineup. 12
Rounds 2: Reloaded is Randy Orton’s turn to step into the action hero role,
with a terrorist-type storyline that is similar to the original 12 Rounds.
Paramedic Nick Malloy (Orton) is pulled into the sick games of a psychopath
(Brian Markinson) seeking revenge for an incident in the past, resulting in the
title rounds. These rounds are not referring to the ammunition of a weapon, but
instead reference the levels of the game that Malloy is forced to play in order
to protect the one he loves.

A premise such
as this provides an opportunity for endless creativity, especially since the
film is not tied down by anything from the original movie. It would seem that
they could have had a lot of fun with the action sequences, but much of this
movie instead quietly plods along the expected routes, hardly even making
proper use of the set-up. Even for a sloppy sequel, too much of the film’s
action is completely forgettable.

The Blu-ray
release includes a commentary track with director Roel Reiné and editor Radu
Ion, along with a featurettes about Orton, the locations and the action in the
film. The package also includes a DVD and digital copy of the film.

There are two
periods of Disney animation features which are generally considered to be the
golden eras. The 1930s all the way through the 1950s were spectacular for the
studio, and the 1990s saw a revival of this success. There are also periods of
films which are neglected and seen as sub-par for Disney standards. Lilo and Stitch and the Emperor’s New Groove fall into this
secondary class, and for this reason their release on Blu-ray is padded with
the straight-to-video sequel.

The Emperor’s New Groove follows the
tradition which Disney had long implemented, adapting a well-known fable into a
family friendly animation. The story of the emperor and his vanity’s ability to
blind him from the fact that he is naked is turned into a story about the
spoiled Emperor Kuzco, who is turned into a llama by his sinister advisor,
Yzma.

Stranded outside
of his palace and his body, the emperor is forced to rely on a peasant to help
him restore normalcy. Along the journey, Kuzco is forced to grow as a person as
humility is required for his new form. Relying on the help of those below him
is something that the emperor is accustomed to, though being forced to
acknowledge these contributions is new to the ruler.

The second film
in the set is Kronk’s New Groove,
which plays up the scene-stealing character that is Yzma’s lumbering henchman
voiced by Patrick Warburton. The story doesn’t develop much in terms of plot,
though it can be said that the return of the original voice talent does help a
great deal.

Both of these
films are combined on the Blu-ray disc, with the second and third discs being
the DVD copies of each film. The special features are also on the DVD copies
exclusively, allowing for a three-disc package with only one new disc to
manufacture. The special features missing from the Blu-ray are nothing new as a
result, but just the same ones previously released.

The small creature at the focus of
the film, the Stitch to Lilo and Stitch,
was actually conceived by director Chris Sanders in 1985, and the film itself
seems to be a throwback to those old days of Disney. Released in 2002, you
would think that Lilo and Stitch was
released prior to the Pixar craze, but that’s what made the film original at
the time. While computer animation was starting to take over, Lilo and Stitch had watercolor
backgrounds, a throwback to the days of Dumbo
(1941). This was the first time this method had been used in over sixty
years by Disney, but also implemented computer colorization and other
technological advantages which make the film something of an anomaly.

The film was
originally meant to take place in Kansas, but
in keeping true to the Disney effort to change location and culture with each
animated film, Lilo and Stitch was
moved to Hawaii.
It is important that the island which they put the characters on is Kauai, because the alien Stitch is designed to find and
destroy large cities, and there are none on this specific Hawaiian island.
Stitch is an alien, sort of. He is a creature created by an alien scientist,
and his only purpose is destruction. He is the cartoon pet equivalent of the
destructive dog, Marley, content only in ruining things.

The other half
of Lilo and Stitch is a character
common throughout every generation of Disney animation; the orphaned child.
Lilo is not alone after the death of her parents, thankfully still in the
custody of her struggling older sister. Before Stitch comes along, Lilo has few
friends and an aptitude for destruction of her own, but she looks to be
well-behaved in comparison to the little monstrous pet. The fact that Lilo and
her sister have been visited by a CPS officer named Cobra Bubbles, threatening
to take Lilo away if the home situation doesn’t improve, does not improve
Stitch’s chances of blending in. He is forced to stay with Lilo as a way to
keep out of alien grasp, but the destruction he is trained to enact must be
stifled if he is to become a part of the family.

As was the case
with the Emperor’s New Groove
package, the straight-to-video sequel is included on the Blu-ray disc with the
original film, with the DVD of each as the second and third discs in the set.
Special features are nothing new and remain only on the DVD copies.

With Ridley
Scott and the late Tony Scott as executive producers, Killing Lincoln is a documentary which is approached with the
expertise of a Hollywood Blockbuster. Few re-enactment sequences are this
polished and visually compelling, not to mention being done with more than a
modicum of convincing acting. This paired with an intimate narration from Tom
Hanks makes Killing Lincoln one of the hippest presentations of accurate
American history available.

The film is
based on the best-selling book by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard and was
originally aired on the National Geographic Channel. Billy Campbell from TV’s
“The Killing” plays President Abraham Lincoln, though he is hardly the star of
this recreation documentary. The emphasis remains on a John Wilkes Booth’s
angry journey to the first Presidential assassination in American history,
played by Jesse Johnson.

There are many
elements within Killing Lincoln which work well. In fact, an argument could be
made that each of the elements on their own are fine, but none of them seem to
go together. Some of the actor’s underplay the drama, while other over-do it.
The film looks fantastic, but relies on the narration of Hanks to tell us
everything we are seeing, as we are seeing it. Then it often repeats it again,
over-simplifying material to the point that it is almost comically suspenseful.
The end result is something that I would show to an elementary student in order
to keep them entertained in history, but wouldn’t recommend it for many discerning
fans of history or the book.

The Blu-ray
release includes an audio commentary with executive producer and screenwriter
Erik Jendresen, as well as an interview with O’Reilly. There is a making-of
featurette and a whole slew of promotional material made to pump up the
anticipation for the television debut.

If you are
feeling down after watching the unfortunate outcasts being bullied in Bully,
throw this documentary on as a companion piece. Brooklyn Castle is about an inner city junior high school where
the smart kids who play chess are actually the popular kids. When you are
successful, the bullying seems to stop. Usually smart kids must wait until they
have grown and become fully educated in order to see this kind of respect
obtained, but an inexplicable amount of success playing chess brought it a
little early for some of these Brooklyn pre-teens.

The game of
chess itself is not that thrilling to watch, especially considering the matches
can last up to three hours. What makes BrooklynCastle
a successful documentary isn’t even the game itself, but the participants. The
personal struggles each of the individual students share with the camera are
far more compelling than how they rank, and the fight that the teachers must
make in order to keep the program afloat amidst harsh budget cuts has more
impact than the final result of tournaments.

Each student
seems to have their own individual goals and reason for playing the game,
especially in a program which is so advanced that it offers up to seven classes
a week. Winning is addicting, and the level of dedication that is expected of
the students makes it clear that they treat chess as more than a game. The DVD
includes deleted scenes.

If
you like “The Walking Dead” but want more sci-fi and less horror, “Falling
Skies” may be the show for you. If you repeatedly watch “Battlestar Galactica”
but don’t find the melodrama cheesy, “Falling Skies” may be a perfect fit. For
all of the rest, this show may have too much melodrama and sci-fi geekiness to
overcome. It may sound as though I’m being harsh on the show, but it is on-par
with TNT programming, and it is better than some of the other alien projects
Steven Spielberg has attached himself to in the past decade.

Though the storyline has some
similarities to “The Walking Dead,” this show is heavy on sci-fi and gets even
more entangled in other-worldly characters by the close of the second season.
Soon there will be as many alien characters as human ones. Noah Wyle heads up
the cast as a former history teacher who has learned to become a leader with
the alien invasion. He and his sons fight the aliens with their group, but
season two complicates the battle.

There are several types of aliens, including
the typical tall and lanky ones who are the main invaders. They first attacked
and stole many of the human children, so that they could be harnessed and made
to integrate into the invader’s army. The second season makes it clear that the
other type of alien doing destruction on earth are actually harnessed from
another planet. The close of season two brings the arrival of yet another
species or race of aliens to earth.

Though the direction of this
storyline is rather obvious, season two takes its time getting anywhere with
the new revelations. Human advisors and leaders refuse to believe that any of
the aliens can be there to help, postponing an inevitable alliance against the
invaders. There are many frustrating aspects to the narrative, including some
annoying melodrama, but the good mostly outweighs the bad.

The Blu-ray release of season two
includes all ten episodes on two discs, along with special features. There are
several featurettes, including behind-the-scenes and set tours. There is also a
preview of season three and audio commentaries on select episodes. One of the
more creative features is an animated trailer for the second season which was
created by Dark Horse Comics.

“Adventure Time”
is in that new category of animation on the cartoon network which I find
confounding, albeit remarkably entertaining. It seems as though this is a
straightforward kid’s show, but it gets remarkably close to being edgy enough
for adults at moments. There is always a ripcord to pull, quickly pulling the
narrative back to safety in time for the episode’s close, but watching this
show with children present often makes me nervous. Perhaps this is partly due
to the high octane, bizarre, and often psychedelic nature of the show which
often makes me feel as though I’m on drugs.

The story
follows the adventures and misadventures of a human boy named Finn and his
brother, a dog named Jake. Finn was adopted by Jake’s parents and they roam the
magical land looking for adventures. Along the way they come across a number of
regular characters, both good and evil. The villains include Marceline the
vampire and the Ice King, and their main ally and adventure companion is
Princess Bubblegum.

Both seasons one
and two have been released on Blu-ray, providing a high definition presentation
of the popular animated insanity. There is only the 2.0 audio track which was
used from the DVD, and the special features remain the same from the DVD releases
as well, but the picture has never looked sharper or more vibrant. Each season
has 26 episodes, which are ten minutes long each. There are select commentary
tracks on the season one episodes, and on all 26 of season two. Other features
include interviews, featurettes and some behind-the-scenes footage of the
actors and the animation.

Even
though there are slight differences to the characters and setting, “Pretty
Little Liars” has been done before. It is “Desperate Housewives” for the
“Gossip Girl” age group. The mystery and the melodrama surround a group of
young looking but sexually promiscuous teenage girls. They are accurately
portrayed to be rather idiotic, but what makes no sense is how stupid all of
the adults are in the show. It feels like a series written for teens by teens,
reeking of naivety and unoriginal storylines from decades past.

Based on the
bestselling book series by Sara Shepard, I am mostly just concerned with the
crap that pre-teen girls read and watch these days. The Twilight craze has had
quite an effect, but I wouldn’t argue it to be a positive one. In this series
there are four teen friends. When we joined these characters in season one, one
of the teens is having an affair with her teacher (“Dawson’s Creek” in
reverse), another is desperately trying to convince her religious boyfriend to
take her virginity, a third flirts with her new lesbian friend while eyeing the
brother of an enemy girl, and the last trashy little teen can’t seem to stop
stealing her sister’s boyfriends.

Lying and
cheating are the norm for these girls, but the show weakly tries to justify
their awful behavior. At one time they had a fifth friend, who was the cruelest
of them all. This friend disappeared in a mystery none of the girls will talk
about, though they begin receiving messages from their old friend once her body
is found. This storyline does not move nearly fast enough, because there is too
much relationship junk to wade through. It took two seasons to discover who was
sending mysterious messages, pretending to be the deceased friend, and in
season three we are still getting bits of flashback of Alison’s final days
alive. At least “Desperate Housewives” knew to leave the dead behind after a
season or two.

There are other
new storylines, but it all begins to sound like the same old dribble. The 24
episodes from season three are all included in this set, along with more than a
few special features. There is a gag reel and deleted scenes, not to mention a
bonus webisodes and an alternate ending to an episode. There are also a few
featurettes best suited for die-hard fans.